


The Start of Something New

by sheepsan



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: 100 year cycle, Gen, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-10 09:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2020119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheepsan/pseuds/sheepsan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Am I going to come back?" Oz murmurs, and he knows he's not speaking to him this time. </p>
<p>But he won't leave it like this. He can't. So Gil musters up the last of the strength in his body to say a forceful, "You will. And when you do, I'll find you. Every single time."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Start of Something New

Alice is dead by the time the tear tracks on Oz's face have dried out. Alice, stubborn, kind Alice, is the first one to go.

She looks unnatural. Alice should be loud and annoying and demanding and selfish. Alice should be moving around and fighting and getting into trouble. Alice shouldn't be lying on the ground, broken beyond recovery.

How many heartbeats, Gilbert wonders, until it's my turn?

He twists his head to the right, to where Oz lies. He regrets it almost instantly, because Oz is unnatural too. The boy is staring at the sky, eyes empty and defeated. Gil's heart thunders down in his ears, but he never take his eyes off Oz. The last view he has before he dies will be of his master. As he watches, there's a deep set ache in his chest that travels through his bones and settles there. More than anything, he wanted Oz to be happy and live out a long, full, life, but that dream is far out of his grasp now.

Just as Gil's eyelids drift close, he hears Oz saying, "Souls return to the earth every hundred years."

It's not really a question, but Gil mumbles an affirmative.

There's a pause, and Gil thinks that's the end of it. But then, he speaks again.

"Am I going to come back?" Oz murmurs, and he knows he's not speaking to him this time.

But he won't leave it like this. He can't. So Gil musters up the last of the strength in his body to say a forceful, "You will. And when you do, I'll find you. Every single time."

He hears Oz laugh lightly, once, and then he's gone.

 

* * *

 

They'd known it was coming for a while now. The second war. Tensions had been rising and the newspapers and radio were filled with speculation. But that didn't mean he was any more prepared for it, or that he even accepted it.

"Who will take care of Vincent if I go?" he argued heatedly. Vincent was only younger by a couple years, but that was enough. He wasn't going to be recruited.

His father leveled him a look, then said calmly, "I will. Stop being unreasonable. This is for your country."

"I don't care about the damn country!"

Vincent watched them anxiously. He stepped forward, into Gil's path.

"Brother, please don't argue," he begged softly. "I'll be fine. Really."

"You don't have a choice in this matter," his father added.

"There's always a choice," he muttered angrily, storming away to his room to sneak a cigarette. He had a feeling he'd need it.

_There's always a choice._

His own words echo through his head, three years later on the battlefield. The enemy is a young fellow, with piercing green eyes that can be seen even from this distance. There's something about him that seems familiar.

He knows that boy. Gil doesn't know how, but he knows him as well as the back of his hand – can read the minute expressions on his face.

He sees motion in his peripheral vision, and he turns. As if in slow motion, he sees his comrade next to him go to pull the trigger. At the boy. An overwhelming feeling swells up inside his chest.

_Choose._

In a split second, he jumps in front of the gun. He catches sight of that boy's expression, and remembers, fleetingly, the image of a hand reaching out to him.

The last thing he remembers is the feeling of sunshine bathing his face, and the feeling of a journey completed.

 

* * *

 

_'What's your favourite colour?'_ the worksheet asks. Gil frowns down at it. Does it really even matter? They're in university for Christ's sake. None of them are children anymore. Furthermore, why bother doing something like this when half the class is going to drop and or fail?

His gaze drifts around the room. Everyone is already in partners, and he's the only one left. As usual. He hadn't had many friends in his childhood and adolescent due to being "unsociable" and "withdrawn".

_Okay._

Gilbert's just about to shove the paper aside and grab the book sitting in his bag, when there's a tap on his shoulder. He turns, a sharp remark on the tip of his tongue.

Then, he meets the boy's eyes, and he stops, because all he can see is _brightgreen_ , and he thinks he might've stopped breathing for a moment.

"Are you okay?" The boy asks, and there's an amused tilt to his lips that seems exceedingly familiar.

"I— fine, I-I'm fine," he stammers, turning red with embarrassment. "Did you need something?"

The boy's smile grows larger. A feeling of apprehension settles in his gut as he settles down next to him.

"I'm Oz. Let's partner up for this," he says, waving the sheet around with one hand.

"Oz," Gil mutters to himself. "Like something out of a fairytale."

"Isn't it? I rather like it, though," Oz says, smiling. "You?"

"I like your name too," he says.

Oz tilts his head to the side, then laughs.

"Your name, I meant?"

Gil's face heats up, and he avoids the others' gaze. "Gilbert," he mumbles.

"Okay, Gil it is then. Guess we should start on this, huh? First question... favourite colour?"

He's speaking before he even knows what he's saying.

"Green."

"Really?" The boy hums thoughtfully, then glances at him and grins. "'Cause mine is gold."

Gil's breath catches, and he can't help but think this is the start of something new.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this at 3 in the morning. I briefly skimmed for mistakes, but let me know if you find any.


End file.
